Assignment Cover Sheet

Grammar 1.…everything that has happened to us during the day.

Meaning

In this sentence has happened is used to talk about events in the past – but it is a
‘present’ tense. It is used to link the past to the present, focusing on the effect or
result at the time of speaking or writing.

Now
Past Future
X X X X XX

CCQs:
Did it happen at some time in past? Yes.
Do we know exactly when? No.

Form

Has + past participle (regular verb = base + ed)

that has + happened to us

This structure is referred to as the present perfect.

Has (he/she/it form of have)1 is an auxiliary verb and is followed by the main verb in
a past participle form.

Past participles may be regular or irregular.

Happened is a verb (past participle of happen) and is followed by a preposition to

(used for showing who experiences and action – in this sentence ‘us’)

Contractions are made with auxiliary verbs, and also with be and have when they are not
auxiliary verbs.
(e.g. she’s, he’s, it’s).

Pronunciation

… that has happened to us.

/ hæzˈhæp.ənd/

There is linking between that and has.

Sentence stress is placed on the pronoun that and the auxiliary verb has.

Anticipated problems and solutions

1. Problem: Students may use contractions and write ‘that’s happened to us’. They
may think that contractions can be used with has when they are auxiliary verbs.
 Solution: Highlight that has is used as an auxiliary verb in this text.

2. Problem: Students may want to use simple past ‘that happened to us’ instead of
the present perfect thinking the event is past.
Solution: Use the timeline shown above.

References

1 Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press

Leech, Geoffrey; Cruickshank, Benita; Ivanic, Roz. An A – Z of English Grammar &

Usage, Fifteenth Impression, 2016

Scrivener, Jim. Teaching English Grammar Macmillan Publishers Limited 2010

Parrott, Martin. Grammar for English Language Teachers Cambridge University Press,
2010

Lexis 1 We can put off sleeping for a limited period.

Meaning

To delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it. 1

The phrasal verb in this sentence does not mean that you are literally moving the object.

Now Put off

CCQs:
Is it positive? No.
Do we want to do it? No.
Do we do it now? No.

Form

Put off is a phrasal verb which consists of verb + adverb + (object). The adverb in
this phrase changes the meaning of the verb.

put off + object

put off + sleeping

Pronunciation

We can put off sleeping for a limited period

/pʊt’ɒf /

Anticipated problems and solutions

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1. Problem: The adverb off can also be a preposition which can be confused with the
second word of a prepositional verb.
Solution: Highlight the form.

2. Problem: Students may pronounce off as /ɒv/ instead of /ɒf/

Solution: Do drilling exercises

3. Problem: Students might misspell the second word write ‘of’ instead of ‘off’
Solution: Elicit correct spelling and write the word on the board

References

1 Macmillan Dictionary, https://www.macmillandictionary.com/

Leech, Geoffrey; Cruickshank, Benita; Ivanic, Roz. An A – Z of English Grammar &

Usage, Fifteenth Impression, 2016

Grammar 2 …but sooner or later we have to sleep.

Meaning

When something is an obligation or necessity 1

Is an auxiliary verb meaning (used with the infinitive form of another verb) to need to
or be forced to; must: 2

CCQs:
Do we need to do it? Yes.
Can we avoid it? No.

Form

Have to + verb

we have to + sleep

Pronunciation

… we have to sleep.

/ˈhæv·tu/

There is linking between have and to.

Sentence stress is placed on the auxiliary verb have.

Anticipated problems and solutions

1. Problem: Students might mispronounce it as /ˈhæf·tu/ instead of /ˈhæv·tu/.

Solution: Have modelling or drilling exercises to correct the pronunciation. Write
on the board to show the difference in phonology.

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References

1 Leech, Geoffrey; Cruickshank, Benita; Ivanic, Roz. An A – Z of English Grammar &

Usage, Fifteenth Impression, 2016

2 Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press

Lexis 2 …we suffer hallucinations, and eventually die.

Meaning

We use the adverb eventually to mean ‘in the end’, especially when something has
involved a long time, or a lot of effort or problems:

CCQs:
Is it positive? No.
Has it been happening for a long time? Yes.
Is it the beginning of something? No.
Is it in the past? No.

Form

Adverb + verb

and eventually + die

Pronunciation

and eventually die

/ɪˈven.tʃu.ə.li/

Anticipated problems and solutions

1. Problem: Students might mispronounce it as /eˈven.tʃu.ə.li/ instead of /ɪˈven.tʃu.ə.li/.

Solution: Show the difference in phonology and do speaking practices and drilling.

References

1 Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press

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